Big Bend Catholic school reverses decision on closure

Leaders of a Catholic elementary school in Waukesha County last week announced the school would close at the end of this year, then in an unusual move, announced three days later they'd find a way to stay open.

St. Joseph Catholic School in Big Bend, with 123 students enrolled in kindergarten through eighth grade, informed parents in a letter last Tuesday that it intended to close at the end of 2012-'13. Like many Catholic elementary schools with declining enrollment, the school has been struggling financially.

But after a school meeting last Thursday evening that brought out many people who said they didn't want to see the school close, Father Dick Robinson rescinded the closure announcement on Friday and said the school will now stay open.

"The school parents, with guidance from the Parish Council, will be expected to prepare a strategic plan with measurable goals to keep the school viable," Robinson said in a letter to parents.

The school will host another meeting from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday to begin planning.

St. Joseph is part of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, and Spokeswoman Julie Wolfe said the trend in Catholic education is to develop a plan to make sure Catholic schools are accessible and viable for years to come, which in recent years has meant a lot of school mergers.

One of the most recent examples is All Saints Catholic School in Kenosha, which opened in fall 2011 and was formed by a collaboration of 10 Kenosha and Pleasant Prairie Catholic parishes.

Closer to Milwaukee, the new Wauwatosa Catholic resulted from the merger of St. Bernard and St. Pius X parishes.

About Erin Richards

Erin Richards covers K-12 education in urban and suburban Milwaukee, as well as state politics related to education issues.